Matt Kaplan, Executive Director

About the Initiative

The Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) Postdoctoral Short-Course on College Teaching in Science and Engineering, was developed as a way to prepare a select group of advanced postdoctoral scholars from a variety of disciplines in the sciences and engineering to teach effectively as future faculty members. The course takes material sourced from an in-person class and transforms it into a digital format, enabling students to work progressively at their own schedule and to work collaboratively with postdoctoral scholars from several partner institutions in developing teaching skills and resources. This course uses evidence-based instruction as a model for learners to approach teaching in the same manner as research projects, thereby creating an accessible entry into high quality teaching practices. The course features U-M faculty discussing various trends and pedagogical strategies for teaching in STEM disciplines, and provides in-depth access to a multitude of topics and micro teaching practice opportunities. From this, students assimilate successful instructional methods early in their teaching careers to prepare them for future instructional practice.